


Lost and Found

by handelgamer



Series: Restarts and Renewals - Tales of the Calamity [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Berold Grey (OC), Elly Browne (OC), Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Original Character(s), Pre-ARR, Reunions, hey look an actual canon character!, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-02-19
Packaged: 2019-03-21 02:09:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13730889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/handelgamer/pseuds/handelgamer
Summary: The Calamity took many. Berold searches for someone he cannot even recall clearly.





	Lost and Found

It was long and hard work shifting through all the bodies of Cartaneu. And ghastly too. Berold could hardly describe it. There was far too many of the dying around there, but something was haunting Berold to keep looking. But when he tried to think of whom, all he could pull up was an image bathed in brilliant light, in that he couldn’t even make out. Her? He thought it was a girl. But he couldn’t even be sure of that. Whomever they were, he had to find them.

Those days seemed to be the longest of his life, as the dead were found in increasing numbers. But still, he couldn’t find her. Berold trudged back to camp, carrying the bodies of a white-haired Miqote girl and a stately looking Hyur. The Miqote girl, from what he could tell, was shot by magetik round while the Hyur was slashed in the back. “May you two be give the rest you deserve,” he prayed. 

Berold heard footsteps draw closer and turned to see who it was. A woman in long white robes strode over, to look over the lost. “My heart aches for all who stood for us and can not return.” She then looked over at Berold. “I have seen you wander amongst the fields. You have brought many back who needed aid and succor. Pray, let me give you my thanks.”

Berold nodded. “I assist the revolutionary fighters over in Ala Mihgo. It isn’t totally unfamiliar to me to see the wounded and dead. And yet..”

The woman nodded solemnly. “I sense your heart is in turmoil. Would you mind telling your story? Of how and why you came to Cartnaeu?”

“Begging your pardon, madam, but...that is sorta why. I can’t remember.” Berold grimaced. “Even if Dalamund was to fall, I think that normally, I would have just stayed behind in Ala Mihgo, just to ensure the Garleans didn’t do anything over there. But something...someone was far too important and asked for me...”

The woman nodded. “I see. There is such an unease in my heart as well. As if I am forgetting something I should know. Or rather, someone.” She frowned and then shook her head. “Have you thought of what you will do now?”

Berold sighed. He’d been pondering that for a little while himself. He couldn’t right leave Eorzea just yet and go back to Ala Mihgo. Something...something was telling him he had to stay, at least for a little longer. But still…

“Gonna have to go back and ask if I can aid the refugees and the resistors over here in some way. I’ve got some good connections from when I was a Sultansworn in Ul’dah too. Maybe I can spring something that way,” Berold nodded.

The woman smiled. “I pray that where your path takes you, it will lead you to the one you’ve lost.”

“Yeah...”

Some armored guards came up, dressed in Gridanian yellow. “Seedseer! You are needed!”

What!? Did I just have a conversation with the leader of Gridania?! Berold thought.

The woman turned to her guards and smiled. “Of course. Fare you well, brave warrior and may the mothercrystal watch over you.”

 

For years, Berold stayed in Ul’dah, waiting for something. He’d taken up adventuring and assisting the refugees in Little Ala Mihgo and elsewhere in whatever small ways he could. And yet, now he had one singular thought in his mind. He now had one distinct memory. Telling someone to watch over his home while he went off to Ala Mihgo. But when he asked around about this person, he only got confused looks. Especially from his landlord, a brusque lalafell, who seemed most confused of all to see someone else in his records pay for the rent. That someone being an Elly Browne. Berold had asked around about this Elly but no one seemed to know of her. No one at all.

And yet...his apartment seemed far too large now…

 

It was about five years after the Calamity when Berold came back to find his apartment unlocked. Fearing a thief, he rushed in, slamming the door wide open. Inside, he spotted a Hyur woman, a young teenager but not so young. She had the aura of someone who had seen plenty of battles in her short time. She looked at him not in shock, as a thief might, but in joy and before he quite comprehended what happened, she hugged him, crying into his chest.

“I’m so happy to see you!” she wailed, continuing to hug him. Berold just looked at her in pure shock and tried to wrap his mind around this person just suddenly acting as if he had left her alone for-. A sudden realization hit Berold. Was this the person he was searching for?

“Uh, this is going to sound ridiculous but, are you Elly Browne?”

“Why would you ask that?” She seemed very hurt at that. “I mean yeah of course but-”

“Okay uh, you know and remember me. But I don’t really remember you.” Berold kept his eyes locked on hers. “All I know is that I think I left my apartment in your care. Which was strange when I thought about it because I-”

“Was going to Ala Mihgo for good,” Elly finished for him. “You gave me this home. Said I should sign up with the Adventurers Guild and get some training under my belt before I follow you. Since you knew I wouldn’t give up fighting.”

Something about this all felt familiar. It was a good feeling but a strange one as well. He smiled and said “Alright, how are you at making food?”

Elly took a sharp intake of air and said, “You should really do the cooking. But if I may suggest, your stew is my favorite,” she grinned and said.

 

And over the dinner, over the days and nights, Elly slowly filled in on what Berold was missing. How he took her in when she was a young girl and raised her as his own. How at first, he tried raising her like a lady of Ul’dah but while he liked the schooling of her tutors, neither one stood much on fancy prancy stuff. Some would say it was the fault of a girl being raised by only a man but Berold knew much better than that. Still, it took him until she was ten until he even considered teaching her how to fight. “Ul’dah is not like Ala Mihgo. You won’t be fighting for your life day and night,” is what he told her but both of them knew full well about the increasing Amalj’aa threat and of course, the Garleans. 

“A favorite memory of mine was you actually taking me to the Bloodsands once. To see the Bull of Ala Mihgo!” Elly said, one day over another dinner of grilled fish.

“Yeah, again, it’s one of those things. I remember doing it and I remember watching him but I don’t remember you,” Berold said.

“Oh fun. That means I’m the only one who gets to remember those lectures you made to me before, during and after the fight.”

“Hmm. I can take a guess. I was stressing about how this man was taking the lives of others and how that is not really a thing that should be made such a spectacle as this.”

“And how sad it is that such a hero of Ala Mhigo be reduced to this,” Elly chucked. “In any case you at least convinced me to not join the Bloodsands that day.”

“I’m relieved and I don’t even have any single blasted memory back.” Berold sighed. He would hope he would remember anything with time passing because it was clear that Elly was, no is, a daughter to him but still, nothing has filled in.

“Hey, I’m just glad you’re...you’re still alive. And here. So who cares if you don’t remember that important piano recital and me smooching Jerald.”

“Saying it like that makes me take it not seriously at all, you realize. Besides, I know you well enough to know you don't play pianos.”

“Oh you may never know.” Elly grinned but it seemed half-hearted. She was hiding something painful but Berold didn't want to rush her. Not right now, at least...

 

One day, the two were investigating the Amalj’aa encampment. Attacks on the refugees and on the settlements outside of Ul’dah’s safety were becoming ever more frequent and so the two set off to go and investigate. The two were perched over a cliff, watching as one of the Amaj’aa was waiting for some sort of supplier, they presumed.

“Elly, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask,” Berold said.

“Does it have to be now?” She said, not turning to look over at him.

“Well, it’s been bugging at me for awhile and I thought well this is just a simple two-person team with no support from anyone whatsoever that might go horrendously wrong, why not talk about your experiences alone?”

“I was a pugilist at the guild. I trained under the sage guidence of Hamo-”

“That’s not what I’m getting at. You’re hurting and I have no idea what.”

“I’m not mad at you for going to Ala Mhigo if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“No I-” But the two of them went quiet, as a hooded...person approached the Amaj’aa. 

“You’ve seen this guy?” Berold whispered.

“Sorta...I think. Stick with the plan and stay behind me. I don’t like this,” Elly whispered.

“I think that’s my line,” Berold whispered back but still the two waited. And listened. The Amal’jaa seemed to be getting some sort of advice on how to summon their god, Ifrit. Both Elly and Berold knew what that meant, more tempered souls. Maybe some from the refugees and maybe some from other smallfolk. Elly seemed determined above all to try to stop these summonings. After awhile the hooded man and the Amalj’aa parted ways and the two of them slinked off, trying to keep an eye on the robed man. But unfortunately, he was headed for the Sagoli Desert. Elly jumped up to try to chase after him but with a quick motion, Berold grabbed her arm.

“What do you propose we do?” Berold asked.

“I dunno! Follow?”

“He’s going to see us if he’s heading out there!”

Elly frantically looked around and spotted a boulder near cliffs. “Not if we hide here!” She dragged Berold over and the two watched as the figure headed just a little ways into the sands. And then turned around.

“I know you are there eikon-slayer.”

Elly tensed up beside Berold. But still she pulled herself over the rock and stood defiantly over it. “Yeah, what of it, you creep?”

“Amazing how you survived. It’s as if the Twelve themselves were watching over your and your companions. But that luck runs out here.” The robbed figure said a quick chant and suddenly a golem appeared just a few yalms away from the two. Berold scrambled and readied his sword while Elly rushed over to the masked robbed figure. She lunged, fists flying but the figure just vanished into some dark portal.

“Coward,” she muttered.

“Enough!” Berold said as he held his shield up to parry the golem’s strike. “Bigger things to worry about!” Elly nodded towards him and started a running sprint towards the golem, knuckle-dusters ready. She made a magnificent leap up and struck the golem in the face, leaving Berold time to slash at it’s crystal. It was a clean hit and the golem staggered and fell. The two rushed forward, sword and fists ready and gave the golem a finishing blow.

“Heh. Not even a sweat,” Elly said, grinning but something caught Berold’s eye. An electric crystal. He strode to pick it up and…

_Hear. Feel. Think._

_A vision of meteors. And then a blessing from the mother-crystal herself. He saw other warriors, a Miqo’te, an Elezen, a...lizard girl and a Roegadyn, smiling as they received the blessing of the mother crystal. Of Hydaelyn._

_And in a flash, Berold’s shattered memories corrected. The Warriors of Light, the original five, were clear. He had met them. His daughter, Elly and her friends, Aubin, Mariko, U’lakta, Reginald._

_And he suddenly remembered two corpses he brought back from Cartnaeu so long ago…_

“Berold? Hello?” He heard her voice. Elly’s. He suddenly hugged her. His daughter.

“Oh dear god Elly, I’m so so sorry for forgetting about you,” He cried into her shoulder. “And I’m so sorry about your friends.”

“You remember now?”

“Yes. I remember meeting with you and your friends as you pleaded with me to please help fight the Garleans at Dalamud. Yes, it’s all clear now. I’m so sorry.”

Elly smiled and hugged him back hard. “Don’t be. I got you and I know Aubin and Mariko are out there. And we are still here. And still fighting.”

“Yes.” They smiled and shared a tender moment just hugging for a bit, father and daughter reunited at last.

“So,” Elly asked after awhile. “Gonna go back to Ala Mhigo now?”

“Well, not just yet. I think we might still have some more things to do here right?”

Elly smiled. “Right.”

**Author's Note:**

> Fic number 2 in this set complete! Was always curious on what bearing the can-not-recall-Legacy-Warriors-of-Light-at-all explanation would have on their families. Something that the devs wouldn't need to worry about but I do, as I have a grand total of three surviving Legacy characters to work with! Fun to explore.
> 
> I was initially going to only write 5 pieces of fiction to match the original short stories but I think I'm gonna have to bump it up to six as there is another character that I should really touch base on.


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